Pretoria - The high court in Johannesburg has sentenced five men to a collective 150 years’ imprisonment for crimes including robbery with aggravating circumstances, two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s Gauteng regional spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, said the sentences imposed by the court on the attempted murder counts and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition were ordered to run concurrently with the life sentences imposed for the murder counts, resulting in an effective sentence of double life and 15 years’ imprisonment for each of the five robbers.
“Mfuneleni Langa (40), Simo Khanyile (30), Nkosenhle Nxumalo (20), Msawenkosi Sibiya (29) and Thulani Sithole (27) were convicted on 30 September 2021 for robbing Shoprite Supermarket at Golden Highway, next to Lenasia, on 19 June 2018 at gunpoint,” said Mjonondwane.
The court heard that on 19 June 2018, the group of robbers entered the supermarket and accosted employees and shoppers. They further demanded that the store manager should open the cash office, whilst some of the assailants were on the floor, robbing staff and shoppers of cash, airtime vouchers and other personal belongings.
One of the shoppers resisted and wanted to leave the store when he was shot at and died at the scene.
A second person, a security company owner, died in hospital as a result of the gunshot wounds sustained on arrival at the scene of the crime after responding to a radio call alerting him of the robbery in progress.
“Four more other patrons were shot at the parking lot as the accused were making their way out and were lucky to escape the ordeal, with gunshot wounds,” said Mjonondwane.
Senior State advocate Monde Mbaqa argued in court that the five men “acted in furtherance of a common purpose” in committing these offences and therefore the actions of each of them should be attributed to all of them.
Mbaqa further argued that the deceased were killed in “a senseless and ruthless manner”, despite the fact that one of them was a shopper who had no control or access to Shoprite’s finances.
“The judge remarked that it is the duty of the court to dispense a sentence that sends a message that courts frown upon senseless killing of people in such a violent manner,” said Mjonondwane.
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the sentence.
IOL